Hearing And Vision Tests For Children

There are a number of reasons why a child may have a hearing problem, includingtemporary hearing loss froma common illness such as a cold .

Somepossible causes of hearingloss thatmay be detected during routine tests include:

• glue ear a build-up of fluid in the middle ear, which is common inyoungchildren
• infections that develop in the womb or at birth, such as rubella or cytomegalovirus , whichcan cause progressive hearing loss
• inherited conditions, such as otosclerosis , which stop the ears or nerves from working properly
• damage to the cochlear or auditory nerves (which transmit hearing signals to the brain); this could be caused by a severe head injury , exposure to loud noise or head surgery, for example
• being starved of oxygen at birth (birth asphyxia)
• illnesses such as meningitis and encephalitis (which both involve swelling in the brain)